1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to security labels for attaching to fabric materials and more particularly to security devices attached to garments and soft goods to reduce theft at retail stores.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common problem at retail stores is the theft of garments and soft goods. This theft problem has been reduced by retail stores attaching relatively large and bulky plastic containing security devices to wearing apparel. These anti-theft devices usually pinched fabric material between two tightly connected parts that are very difficult to separate. These devices cause an audible signal when passed through a sensing field, usually magnetic, radio frequency or acustomagnetic, if the device is not removed from the garment where the sales transaction occurs.
The disadvantages of this type of anti-theft device are that it is bulky and makes it difficult to try on certain garments (i.e. intimate apparel); it is put on in retail stores by clerks whose main duty is serving customers, leading to inconsistent attachment and some unprotected items; and it takes time and expense to attach and detach to an item.
A U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,311 discloses an anti-theft device attached to a cloth product. The method of attaching the anti-theft device is by fusion.
A significant disadvantage of this anti-theft device is that this device does not provide an option of being able to remove the device after the sales transaction without causing substantial damage to the cloth product. With some cloth products, such as intimate apparel, this anti-theft device could be irritating or annoying to the user.
A U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,405 discloses an anti-theft system having a magnetic sensing field for detecting a security device when the security device passes through an interrogation zone of the anti-theft system to produce a detectable signal.